Track and field Grand Prix takes off

The athletics season kicked off, last weekend at the Independence stadium, when the first leg of the Bank Windhoek Athletics Grand Prix took place. Corlia Kruger of Swakop Striders Athletics Club was the single biggest winner as she walked away with three gold medals in the Girls 100 metre hurdles, Women Long Jump and Women Javelin throw. Her club won two more medals won by Carolin Kutzner in the Women 200 metres and Francis Uatema in the Men 400 metres. However, the athletes from the Windhoek Hochland Sport Club were collectively the big winners with 12 gold medals, followed by Golden Cheetah Athletics Club with six gold medals.

Pieter Jan Swanepoel and Anro Swanepoel of Windhoek Hochland Sport Club both excelled on the day, with Pieter winning gold in both the Men Shot Put and Men Discus throw, while Anro scooped gold in the Boys 18 & Under Discus throw and Shot Put. Sune Engelbrecht, also from the same club, won gold in the Girls 18 & Under Shot Put and Women 18 & Under Discus throw. Other gold medal winners from Windhoek Hochland Sport Club were Kevin Mieze (Men 110 Meter Hurdles, Dorette van der Merwe (Girls 18 & Under Javelin Throw), Michelle Pretorius (Women High Jump), Anja Brand (Women Triple Jump), Jan Roberts (Boys 18 & Under Javelin Throw) and Dirk Potgieter (Men Javelin Throw). Alina Armas of Namibia Defence Force Athletics made won two of the three gold medals won by her club in the 800 and 1500 metres. The third gold medal was won by Leonard Nampala in the Men’s 5000 metres. The much anticipated Men’s 100 metres was won by Gilbert Hainuca of Golden Cheetahs Athletics Club in a time of 11seconds, followed by Even Tjiviyu of Namib Lions Athletics Club in 11.4 seconds and Ismael Tjiramba of Golden Cheetahs in 11.19 seconds. However, Even Tjivuyu went on to win gold in the Men 200 metres in a time 21.78 seconds.In the Women 100 metres, Lena !Noreses of Golden Cheetahs won gold in a time of 13.09 seconds, followed by Desiree Kandovazu of Namib Lions Athletics Club in 13.11 seconds and Carolin Kutzner of Swakop Striders Athletics Club in 13.27 seconds. Carolin went on to win the Women 200 metres clocking a time of 26.68 seconds, followed by Mandi Kroze and Joliene van Zyl of Windhoek Hochland Sport Club in 27.67 seconds and 27.97 seconds respectively.